Death of Blue Jay Ault ruled a suicide

The death of former Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Doug Ault was ruled a suicide, a Florida medical examiner said Tuesday.

Ault died Dec. 22 at 54 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his Tarpon Springs, Fla., home. The team confirmed his death Monday.

Tarpon Springs police had suspected Ault's death was a suicide, Sgt. Jeff Young said. The police declined to elaborate, citing the pending investigation.

Ault became part of Blue Jays lore when he hit two home runs in the first game of the expansion team's history.

With a snow storm covering Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977, and a cold wind coming in off Lake Ontario, Ault hit two home runs when the Blue Jays defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-4 in their first-ever game.

Ault, a first baseman who had been selected by Toronto in the 1976 expansion draft from the Texas Rangers, spent three seasons with the Blue Jays before retiring in 1980.

Following his playing days, Ault, a native of Beaumont, Texas, served as a manager in the Jays organization, handling teams at Class-A Dunedin, Kingston, Ont., and St. Catharines, Ont., before managing the triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.